Cat reunited with its family after going missing almost a DECADE ago

A family are celebrating after being reunited with their beloved cat Pepé - almost a whole DECADE after he went missing.

The moggy was found hobbling around a car park in Lancashire with an injured paw on Wednesday (August 28). PC Liz Harrison, who made the discovery, was leaving work at Lancashire Police's Motorway Post in Samlesbury near Preston at the time.

The policewoman was walking through the car park when she heard a meowing sound. She looked around and found the poorly feline struggling to walk on an injured paw. Placing him safely into a box, she took him to a local vet.

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Luckily, Pepé had a microchip meaning the vets were able to contact the owners and leave a voicemail message. His shocked owner, Caroline, called the vets back not long after and revealed Pepé was theirs and had been reported missing nine years ago.

During his time missing, the family shared online appeals and put posters up but never heard anything back. They eventually lost hope, with Caroline's daughter being just three-months-old at the time. Now nine years old, she can't wait to meet her long-lost pet.

In a post, Lancashire Police said: "One very special cat, Pepé, has been reunited with his owners, Caroline and her daughter, almost a decade after he went missing.

"On Wednesday 28th August Pepé was found by PC Liz Harrison as she was leaving work at our Motorway Post in Samlesbury, she was in the car park when she heard a meowing sound.

"She looked around and found a cat with an injured paw unable to walk on it, so she put him safely into a box and took him to a local vet.

"Luckily, Pepé has a microchip, so after making some furrther